Good grain quality from the first harvests

4.9.2007

<div>Average hectolitre weights have been high in the grain harvest in autumn 2007, though lower than in the record autumn of 2006. Of the bread grains the quality of rye and the spring wheats that were harvested early have been good. The protein content of spring wheat seems to be higher than that of the two previous years. On the other hand, the protein content of feed grain is low. </div>

Based on the samples that have been analyzed so far from the
monitoring of the quality of the grain harvest, this autumn’s rye
crop is of good quality. The average hectolitre weight of the
samples has been 77.4 kilograms, which is at the same level as last
year. The falling number (179) is lower than last year. In about 85
per cent of the winter rye samples analysed, the falling number has
been over 120.

The average hectolitre weight for spring wheat is 80.7 kilograms
and the protein content is 13.6 %. The protein content is clearly
higher than that of the two previous years. Also the falling number
has been high in the examined samples, at 372. The samples were,
however, harvested during weeks 33 and 34, so it is likely that the
average falling number will decrease. Most of the samples came from
Finland Proper (Varsinais-Suomi), where it has been dryer than in
the rest of the country. Two thirds of the analysed samples fulfil
the quality requirements for bread grain (hectolitre weight ≥78kg,
protein content ≥12.5 % and falling number ≥180).

The average protein content of winter wheat (12.0 %) is at the
same level as last year, whereas the hectolitre weight (81.7 kg) is
clearly higher than last year. With winter wheat the falling number
has also been high in the first samples, at 345. One third of the
samples of winter wheat fulfil the quality requirements for bread
grain.

The average protein content of the malting barley samples is
12.0 %. The protein content of the samples intended for malting is
on average 11.5 %. The protein content is clearly lower in
comparison with last year. In 42 per cent of the analysed samples,
and in 62 per cent of the samples intended for malting, the protein
content was below 11.5 per cent. The sieving test performed on
malting barley (>2.5 mm) gave results that were on average 90.8
% and 91.1 % in the samples intended for malting, which is somewhat
lower than in the two previous years, but still clearly higher than
in the years before that. The hectolitre weight is on average 69.1
kilograms for malting barley.

In feed grains, the average hectolitre weight for barley is 64.6
kilograms and the protein content 11.6 %. The protein content is
somewhat lower than last year, and the lowest in the 2000s. On the
other hand, the hectolitre weight is the second highest for the
period in question. The hectolitre weight of oats (55.3 kg) is also
lower than last year. Based on the first analysed samples, the
protein content of oats (12.4 %) is clearly lower than in previous
years.